University of Richmond hosts series of events focusing on Bosnia

The University of Richmond will host a series of events throughout the fall semester to commemorate two important anniversaries in recent European history. The series, “20 Years After Srebrenica: Bosnia and Herzegovina Today,” will explore the past and current state of Bosnian society. The scheduled events include lectures, films screenings, a poetry reading and a photography exhibition, all exploring the Srebrenica Massacre and Dayton Peace Accords and the state of culture and education in Bosnia today.

The Srebrenica Massacre refers to events of July 1995 when more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed in and around the town of Srebrenica. The Dayton Peace Accords were reached in November 1995 formally putting an end to three and a half years of war.

“The story of Bosnia is a story of what gets lost when civil, multi-ethnic society is destructed, how vulnerable such societies are in the world where rapid territorial changes, global capitalism, fast media and faster arms trade encounter nationalism and economic misery,” said Tanja Softić, University of Richmond professor of art and event organizer. “It’s also a story of hope that such societies can be rebuilt; the series brings in several outstanding Bosnian and ex-Yugoslav artists and scholars, whose work examines and critiques Bosnian and regional history, politics and contemporary culture.”

Events taking place Aug. 19 through Nov. 5 include the following:

Aug. 1–December 15: Exhibition, Carole Weinstein International Center Gallery

“Catalogue of Silence: Sarajevo’s museums and libraries after the 1992-1995 war,” a photo-essay by Tanja Softić,

Sept. 10: Documentary Film Screening and Discussion, 6-8 p.m., Carole Weinstein International Center, International Commons

The audience will view “The Geography of Genocide in Bosnia: Redeeming the Earth.” Discussion will follow with David Pettigrew, Southern Connecticut State University.

Sept. 23: The Never-ending Peace: How Bosnia became Stuck in the Dayton Accords, 5 p.m., Carole Weinstein International Center, International Commons

Lecture by Florian Bieber, political scientist from University of Graz. Bieber works on inter-ethnic relations, ethnic conflict and nationalism, focusing on Southeastern Europe.

Oct. 21: Poetry Reading, 6 p.m., Weinstein Hall, Brown-Alley Room (third floor)

Readings from Šejla Šehabović, poet and director of the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts in Sarajevo; Semezdin Mehmedinovic´, Bosnian poet and writer and Aleš Debeljak, Slovenian poet and essayist focusing on Yugoslavia.

Oct. 22: The State of Culture in the Post-communist Europe, 5 p.m., Carole Weinstein International Center, International Commons

Authors Šejla Šehabović, Semezdin Mehmedinovic´ and Aleš Debeljak will discuss the state of culture in the aftermath of Yugoslav breakup. Tanja Softić and Brian Henry, UR professor of English and creative writing will moderate.

The Office of International Education and Departments of Art and Art History, Religion, Political Science, and English are sponsoring this event series. For more information, visit richmond.edu/bosnia

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